Happy Pill….
The happy pill….
Where? Where can I get one?! Now!
Here you go….for starters, anyway:
Raise your right or left hand (doesn’t matter which); begin to move your hand back and forth like a windshield wiper (fast or slow-whatever works); while you're practicing “the wave” notice what your lips and mouth are doing (letting the cat out of th bag-they’re beginning to move upward into smile); you may actually notice you’re breathing more deeply.
By George (whatever that means), you’ve got it, you’ve got it!
Yeah, but what have I got??
Oh, you mean with the “therapeutic wave” I’ve been describing? This particular happy pill is not a special brand from your local pharmacy, liquor store, dark chocolate purveyor, or even MD. It arises from the conscious activation of your brain’s personal chemistry set. (Yep, you are that trigger for an upsurge in good feelings.)
No peyote, LSD, or ecstasy. Nope, this brain-altering drug of choice is oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone in ALL our bodies, also provocatively called the “love molecule.”
Well, OK, you’ve certainly got my attention now! What’s the password for accessing my brain’s love molecule? (I want some of that!)
Easy-peasy. Self-induced positive emotions stimulate oxytocin production in our bodies, making us feel better, happier, and calmer. Your self-owned inner pharmacy is only too happy to show up for you, given the appropriate proactive measures, well, like waving at others! (Just call me your friendly oxytocin educator.)
Aside from that ol’ NC wave, how the heck do I stimulate my internal love molecule, oxytocin, into action? If you’ll forgive my saying so, oxytocin is a cheap date! A super cheap date! An incredible grab bag of mini-actions kicks this brain hormone into “feel-good” mode - gratitude, thinking about someone you like or love, smiling, exercise, and singing, (no, no you don’t want to hear me sing.) And many, many more small, and as I said, cheap actions (well, take gratitude, for instance) can take you over that line into oxytocin-ville, the place where a simple wave on your part can open the door to more light in your life. (Selfish, or not, I like having more light in my life, so shareable with others.)
In a former life, I was (gasp!) a social worker. Every profession has its own lingo. One of my favorite social work-y terms was agency, empowering people from within. And with oxytocin, you’re swimming in self-empowerment! (Got your water wings? You might need them.) Your internal oxytocin generator encompasses petting a dog, hugging a friend, playing pickle ball, and eating dark chocolate, all of which are doorways to feeling better and calmer in the moment. As I said, oxytocin is one heck of a cheap date!
So go forth and meet-up with your brain’s love molecule and let your good feelings roll! (How ‘bout now?)